Embodiments of the present invention relate to page frames and, more specifically, to asynchronously clearing page frames.
Generally, a computer's operating system manages its virtual memory and main memory. Virtual memory pages are assigned to applications and backed by (i.e., stored in) page frames in main memory when used. In the case of the z/OS operating system from International Business Machines®, a storage manager clears 1 MB page frames by using the perform frame management function (PFMF) instruction with a clear frame option. This instruction is issued to clear a page frame when processing a request to obtain a 1 MB page frame while running under the unit of work that needs the frame. Access to available page frames is serialized, so additional processor cycles are spent waiting for a spin lock to obtain frames when there is contention on the spin lock.